The present invention relates to breast milk collection and in particular to colostrum collection.
Known breast pump systems include vacuum pumps cycling between vacuum and pressure. During vacuum, breast milk is drawn from the breast into an adapter, and the milk flows under gravity from the adapter into a collection bottle attached to the adapter. The breast milk is sufficiently thin to easily flow into the collection bottle. Unfortunately, when known breast pump systems are used to collect thicker colostrum, the systems fail to efficiently draw and deposit the colostrum into the collection bottle.
Further there is a desire to collect colostrum in a syringe for providing the colostrum to a newborn baby. Because it is important to maintain a closed system free of contaminates, it is preferred to directly deliver the colostrum into the syringe through the small passage of the syringe opposite to the piston. Unfortunately, thick colostrum resists flowing through the small passage.